The invention relates generally to an arrangement for spraying an anti-corrosion agent into the hollow spaces of a vehicle body wherein a portable spraying nozzle holder is connected to a source of anti-corrosion agent and air, and at least one spraying nozzle and quick change slip-on couplings are provided for connecting said spraying nozzle holder to said nozzle. Such a device is disclosed in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 3,004,495.
In manually applying a preservative to hollow spaces in a vehicle body a worker treats up to six hollow spaces or locations to be preserved within one time cycle. Each hollow space or area to be preserved is coated using a specific spraying nozzle developed for this space or area. The spraying operation itself is relatively short, but a considerable portion of the working time within a cycle is required for changing the nozzle. It is believed that preserving hollow spaces mechanically has previously been done only by special machines which were specially designed for a particular body type. With these machines it is either completely impossible to convert to other body types or the time taken to do so is unacceptably long.
An object of the invention is to improve the known spraying device so that a worker may manually change the nozzle more quickly than previously by employing a so-called one hand operation. Moreover, this invention may be used in combination with industrial robots thereby providing means for mechanical application of preservative to hollow spaces which are readily adaptable to a variety of vehicle body types.
These objects are achieved according to the invention by the arrangements as disclosed herein. Because of the described fixed orientation of the various spraying nozzles, a worker can with one hand manually guide the spraying nozzle holder onto one of the awaiting nozzles and remove this nozzle/holder assembly from a retainer. Conversely, it is also possible with one hand operation to deposit the spraying nozzle back into its retainer. In a like manner the arm of an industrial robot could pick up the spraying nozzles one after the other and place them back into their retainers. It is merely necessary to program the picking up and depositing of the spraying nozzles into the movement program of the industrial robot.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, embodiments constructed in accordance with the present invention.